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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. firm — decided
  10. current — electric
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. current — happening now
  14. prune — to trim
  15. press — to push
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — of water
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. court — of law
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com